Imagine how surprised Serge Prokofiev would be if he found out that his best-known musical composition today was a piece that he wrote in just one week for the Central Children's Theatre in Moscow -- "Peter and the Wolf."

He wrote the story himself and then set it to music. In this story, he portrayed Peter as a lovable, but slightly naughty boy who defies his stern grandfather and goes out into the meadow next to their house.

The Bird and the Cat, natural enemies, become friends as they have to work together with Peter to catch the villain of the story, the ferocious Wolf. The Duck reminds us of a naïve loner who is sweet, but not so smart, who continuously gets caught in tragic and difficult situations. The story ends with the Hunters entering the scene, which provides a nice opportunity for a glorious procession with all the characters and the Wolf.

To add to the enjoyment of the story, this piece can be done as a ballet with dancers creating each role. This combination of the spoken word, music, and the visuals of the dance enhance the performance on all levels.

At 2 p.m. April 25, the Allentown Symphony partners with the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley (Artistic Director Karen Kroninger Knerr) for its Family Series performance of "Peter and the Wolf." The stage will be full of dancers and musicians as we bring the story to life.

Peter will be danced by Matthew Renko from Suzanne Farrell Ballet Company, which is in residence at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. The Wolf will be danced by Andrij Cybyk from the Iskra Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Academy, Whippany, N.J. The Grandfather will be played by a local favorite, Scott Eggert, Music Director of "Circle of Stone" in the Lehigh Valley.

Collaborating with other individuals and arts organizations is very important to the vision of the Allentown Symphony, and bringing music to life through dance and multi-media makes every concert performance even more exciting to our audience members.

In the story of "Peter and the Wolf," each character is portrayed by a melody and a specific instrument. Even the youngest of children these days can easily identify the instruments that go with each of their favorite characters.

Peter is portrayed by the strings (violins, viola, cello, bass) with a confident, almost skipping, melody. The Cat is played by a clarinet with a bouncing step and cat-like personality. The part of the Bird is given to the flute with lots of trills and high chirping notes. The soulful Duck is played by the oboe, calm, but a bit sad. Grandfather's melody is performed by the bassoon, with a low, growling and grumpy tonality.

A favorite of everyone is the Wolf, played by three French horns in harmony. You can practically see the Wolf snarling at you. The Hunters who save the day are given a march that, as it continues, gradually incorporates the other melodies. And since all Hunters must have guns, the Timpani drums create the sound of gunshots.

On the same program, we also bring you another famous story, Hans Christian Anderson's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier." This is the story about the love between a Tin Soldier with one leg and a paper doll Ballerina. This will also be performed as a ballet accompanied by music from George Bizet's "Jeux d'enfants" ("Children's Games"). The solo dancers for this number are Elisabeth Holowchuk and Ted Seymour, both from the Suzanne Farrell Ballet Company.

Leading us through each of these stories will be our narrator, Edward Pleasant. You might remember this name if you attended the opening concert of the Allentown Symphony's 60th anniversary season last fall when we featured Edward in selections from "Porgy and Bess." I know that you will really enjoy his narration of both of these classic tales.

This is a concert that young and old are sure to enjoy.

There will be a pre-concert family event at 12:30 p.m. April 25 in the Rodale Community Room.

Diane Wittry is music director and conductor of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. She is also music director and conductor of the Norwalk Symphony in Connecticut. ASO concert ticket information: 610-432-6715, www.AllentownSymphony.org